Has-Beens, Will-Bes, or...Ares?

Last week we had a look at those players I’m confident will make Monty’s team for the 2010 Ryder Cup. Now we’re going to start on the slightly longer list – who are the guys battling it out for the remaining four spots?

This week we’ll look at the players who made up the rest of Nick Faldo’s losing team in 2008.

Miguel Angel Jimenez: The Mechanic has played in 3 Ryder Cups already and was Seve Ballesteros’s vice-captain in 1997. As a player, he hasn’t had great success in the team, only taking 1 ½ points in his last two outings. On the other hand, it is easy to imagine him playing a key role in Colin Montgomerie’s dressing room.

Will he qualify on merit? Despite having four 4th place finishes on the European money list over the last 11 years, he’s failed to crack the top 10 in the other years. He’s been a streaky player, and unless another streak starts his Cup career could be at an end. His 2009 has been solid, but without a win, and it just looks like there are too many young guns vying for the spaces to allow Jimenez a chance.

Robert Karlsson: As far as I’m concenred, once he’s healthy, nothing else matters. He’s been plagued by eye problems all this year, and won’t feature again until October. As we saw last year, he’s a top-class player, and unbelievably consistent, with 11 top-10s and two wins. He’s got a beautiful swing and sorted out his putting nicely. You’ve got to feel he needs a month of golf this year before a winter break to get him ready for next year’s campaign, and it’s very possible that the time out of contention will count against him. But if he’s back and seeing clearly by Christmas, watch out – he’s enjoyed his Ryder Cup experience so far, and he’s the sort of calm, steady player you want in a tight match.

Justin Rose: I can’t see him making it. He had a great Ryder Cup last time, taking 3/4 points, two of which were with European hero Ian Poulter. This year, however, he hasn’t got his game going. Playing a lot of his golf in the US, a top-5 three weeks ago is the only result of note, while he picked up a top-15 in the Open Championship. Poor old Justin’s career has been dogged with flashes of his obvious talent, and stretches of mediocrity. He showed in Valhalla that the format suis him, taking some big scalps, but his form has slipped again and I don’t see him making the cut

Ian Poulter: The man was brilliant last year. After losing his first match, he won all four remaining to be Europe’s top scorer. A wild card last year, he’ll be looking to get straight through the system this year. Skipping the last event last year and eliminating the possibility of automatic qualification, his pick was criticized, but we all shut up once he performed. Always a firey player, the Ryder Cup is his thing – getting pumped and passionate. With 11 top-20s in the States this year and a 3rd place in France, Poults has showed reasonable form this year without reaching his own standards. I expected him to get moving from around July on, but he’s still winless in 2009. The reward of a Ryder Cup berth in itself should be enough to get Poulter charged up to win next year, and I’d hope and tentatively expect him to make it.

Graeme McDowell: With a brace of wins in 2008 and a solid Ryder Cup performance (2 ½ out of 4, including a spectacular final-hole victory with Poulter over Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry), we were looking to G-Mac to become one of the greats this year and start to contend in the majors. It hasn’t worked out like that so far, his 10th place finish in the US PGA being his solitary top-10 this year. Perhaps this is just a transitional period, and he settles into his new station in golf. Like Poulter, he’s an immensely talented player with fire in his belly, and he loves to win. You can be sure he’s eyeing up a place in next year’s team, maybe alongside Harrington or McIlroy.

He’s still a young man, and he’s got a major-winnign future ahead of him – I’m fairly confident he’ll get his game in shape and mount a serious challenge for a place.

Oliver Wilson: Last year’s bridesmaid, with five runner-up finishes in the calendar year, he’s struggled to get his game going again this year. His 9th place slot in the Race to Dubai is founded primarily on that final 2nd place in November, and after great performances in the WGC events in February and March he hasn’t had a top-10 finish since. He was underplayed in Faldo’s team in Valhalla, winning his one team match with Henrik Stenson, before losing to an exceptional performace from Boo Weekley.

I can’t see him making it this time unless he gets a win soon – the longer you go without a win, particularly if you come 2nd, the more difficult it becomes to close out a championship when the time comes. I hope we’ll see more of him in the future, because I really like him as a player, but it won’t be at Celtic Manor.

Soren Hansen: Next week’s column will be looking at a couple more Scandinavian competitors, but for the moment we’ll stick to Soren. In 2008, he only took ½ a point from 3 matches, but he was partnered with an out of sorts Lee Westwood and playing opposite hometown favourite JB Holmes each time. He played great golf under pressure to qualify for Faldo’s team, and is continuing that run this year after a slow start. He’s another guy who needs a win to show he still knows how, but they way he’s playing it isn’t too far away. With the number of places I’ve already given out, it’s getting pretty competitive for the final spots, and Hansen’s going to have his work cut out. He’s a gutsy player, but I don’t think he’ll make it without a victory on Tour. If he gets that early in the year, watch out.

Next week we'll look at more potential rookies - who'll be pushing for the final spots?

And So It Begins...Again

The Omega European Masters is upon us in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland. Just another tournament on the Tour to the ignorant, this is one of the highlights of the year for true golf fans. It's the week when it all begins to matter again, when the clock is started again. 51 weeks from Sunday evening we will know the 12 members of Europe's Ryder Cup team for Celtic Manor 2010. Some of them may be assured of their place by Jun or July, others will have to scrap it out till the end, perhaps even relying upon Monty's 3 picks to see them through. This Sunday, 60/70-odd players will receive a paycheck to start them on their way.

The tournament can use this focus to its advantage - a strong field is assembled in the Alps, with Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Oliver Wilson just a few of the main contenders. McIlroy missed out on a maiden win here last year after missing a 2-foot putt in a playoff, after already taking 4 shots from within 100 yards on the 72nd hole. Jean-Francois Lucquin was only too pleased to capitalize on the youngster's error, and the Frenchman will be looking to find a return to form at the scene of his triumph.

McIlroy has certainly come far in the last year, moving up into the world's top 20 golfers, and picking up 3 top-20s in major championships, including a 3rd-place finish most recently at the US PGA. Although he will hope to pick up his second win of the season this week and banish the demons of last year, a repeat of last year's 2nd place would propel him to the top of the Race to Dubai standings, unless Lee Westwood (champion in 1999) takes the win.

It is remarkable to think that so young a man and so new a recruit to the professional ranks (2009 is only his 2nd full season) could be so close to being Europe's number one player, and yet it is extremely possible. He looks in good form, he obviously likes the course, and his ambition is endless. Martin Kaymer, current leader of the Race, is out for at least a month with broken foot bones, and Paul Casey (2nd place) is playing in the United States.

The Race is hotting up, and McIlroy and Westwood will look to take their chance this week to heap pressure on the absentees.

There are plenty of other likely contenders in the field this week. Simon Dyson, after a win two weeks ago, is back in action at Crans. Ever a streaky player, Dyson will be intent upon maintaining his current form to give himself a start in the Ryder Cup battle. He is a man who I have thought has the talent to make the team, but hasn't managed to put together a convincing run of form when it counts.

Darren Clarke, a favourite of the blog, has shown patches of form this year, and hopefully he'll be on song this week; unfortunate to miss out on a place in Faldo's team, the big Ulsterman will want to regain his place in a competition to which he has given so much.

Clarke's compatriot Graeme McDowell is also looking for a late kick-start to his season - after a couple of wins last year helped him into the Valhalla team, a single top-10 in 2009 has been a disappointing follow-up. He's a fiery player though, and while I don't expect him to win this week, watch out for him as the season draws to a close - I expect him to put a few points on the board before Christmas.

Bradley Dredge and Ricardo Gonzalez are also former winners in the field; Gonzalez had a fantastic win in Sweden 3 weeks ago, while Dredge has said that Celtic Manor provides an extra incentive to all of the Welshmen on Tour to try and make Monty's team.

Francesco Molinari, meanwhile, is a man to keep an eye on for the week.

Prediction? Westwood and McIlroy to both finish in the top 5, with a win for one of them. They're both excellent drivers of the ball, and so should be able to take the rewards granted by the thinner Alpine air. They've both performed well at the course before, and they're both hungry for success - McIlroy wants to show Monty what he's going to have from the outset; Westwood needs a win after a two-year drought, and will revel in the chance to head back to a once familiar spot at the top of the European rankings.

Over the coming days and weeks, we'll take a look at a breakdown of the various players in contention for Celtic Manor - who's expected to make the team, who'll surprise, and who might surprise the wrong way. We might even have a look at the Yanks.

A New Week, A New Story

On Sunday, Shane Lowry's life changed forever. After one event, he's national champion, national hero, and in a better position than guys on Tour for 20 years. It now seems likely that he'll be joining the professional ranks in the very near future, although he won't be teeing up in Wentworth this week, despite speculation to that effect. The Walker Cup is a big deal, but when you've just earned a two-year exemption on Tour, it's in a different perspective. Pretty soon, he'll be thinking about Celtic Manor 2010 instead.

Lowry's life may be upside down, but for everyone else out there, it's just another week. Robert Rock, Johan Edfors, Alistair Forsyth, and other contenders from last week have already set their sights on Wentworth as the next potential victory. The flagship event of the European Tour is here and, as usual, we can expect a cracker.

One year ago, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Oliver Wilson treated us to a thrilling playoff finish culminating in success for the Spaniard. Since then, however, both men's fortunes have changed. Jimenez has started the season sluggishly, and is coming off a missed cut at Baltray, while Wilson has come to be known as the bridesmaid of the European Tour. With 8 European Tour runner-up finishes and not a win to his credit, the Ryder Cup player badly needs a win to relieve the pressure. As we've seen with so many players over the years, it's a monkey on the back, and the longer you let it cling, the harder it becomes to dislodge. 

 Wilson showed good form at Baltray last week until the final round, and hopefully he's shaken off the neck injury that has troubled him in recent months.

Wentworth is always a fantastic venue, not least because of its finish - two par 5s at the 17th and 18th allow for massive swings in the lead on the final stretch, and, as Shane Lowry would tell you, you shouldn't count your chickens before you come to that bridge.

Competition is as strong as ever: Henrik Stenson makes his first start since his magnificent win at Sawgrass, while Retief Goosen, Luke Donald (in his first European appearance in 12 months), Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson, and Paul Casey are all back. Masters champion Angel Cabrera is looking to continue his fantastic season at a course where he's tasted success previously. No man has had more success at Wentworth than Ernie Els, winning the Matchplay here about 47 times, although so far the BMW (or Volvo as was) has eluded him.

Karlsson has yet to reproduce the form that saw him win the Order of Merit last year, but, as is customary, he hasn't played that many tournaments yet this year and is only getting into his stride; there's no doubt that he'll be back in the winner's circle before long.

Notable by his absence is Padraig Harrington, who misses Wentworth for the fourth time in seven years, claiming that the course simply doesn't suit his game. After a missed cut at the Irish Open that surprised Harrington as much as anyone, the double major champion undoubtedly needs some time to get his game together, having posted only one top-10 finish this year. Although he's a man  who doesn't need to be in form to shake things up (as evidence in last year's triumphs), he hasn't shown anything near his class in 2009.

As well as the favourites, there are a few outside bets to watch out for. Colin Montgomerie, winner of three Volvo PGA's on the trot in the 1990s, showed some good form in Baltray last week, and is a tasty 100/1 at the bookies. After a solid start to the season, Ignacio Garrido has quietened down again, but the 2003 champion is worth a flutter at 175/1.

Finally, Thomas Bjorn continued to show bursts of form in Louth last week following two top 10s, and as another man who's posted good finishes at Wentworth before he can't be ignored, always playing his best golf in Britain and Ireland.

The PGA promises another week of compelling golf, and marks the beginning of the European Tour's golfing summer. With only a month to go to the US Open, rising stars such as Louis Oosthuizen and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano will be trying to force their way in the world's top 50 to gain a place at Bethpage Black in June. With 3 major championships in 2 months, it is, as always, as huge time for players all round the world as they seek to join the elite.

As ever, it begins again this week.